Parenting

Isn't it funny how we all have different ideas on the specifics of parenting.  What we do with our kids is most often shaped by how our parents did things.  Or we do things different because of what they didn't do.

I can remember being 17/18 and thinking I do NOT want to be like my mother.  But its 45 years later and I'm not sure what the specific reason was at the time.  As I look back, and then add in experience, in some ways I AM like my mother.  

But different parenting creates different people.  I have some definite ways of my own.  And as I watch my nephew navigate parenting alone, I can see how my sister did things differently than I did.  

In my thinking, we should choose our priority and do our best to stick with it.  For me, that was making sure my kids were well cared for, spent time with them, and showed them how to become better humans.  They had baths every day, meals every day, and I said "I love you" every day.  And when it came to my career choices, i didn't always choose the path with the most money. I chose the path that gave me solid work hours and a set schedule.  IMO, kids need routine. 

I see that lacking in Mr Zs world.  He goes from dad's to mom's to Grandma's. On days I pick him up from school, he always asks where he's going.  It breaks my heart that he doesn't know.  I raised six kids for 10 years. We posted a schedule on the wall and at the end of dinner every day, we reviewed whats up for tomorrow.  Kids need to know.

I know this post is all over in topic. But I have a soft spot for kids.  They need more than being shuffled. They need to be your priority.